Don Young (second from left above) invited his merry band of freethinkers, iconoclasts, nature lovers and weary Christmas shoppers to celebrate the Winter Solstice at his East Fort Worth home on Saturday night. Plenty of folks showed up to hang around the food table or relax around his woodstove. Of course, the highlight of the evening was the burning of the dragon sculpture, crafted in straw, vegetables and whatnot.

Attendees were invited to bring something to burn in the fire — firewood, an old chair, a discarded cello or a scrap of paper engraved with a secret wish for the new year. I scribbled a wish from a page in my notebook and tucked it safely in the straw before the blaze.

There are more photos after the jump.

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